Joseph – to prison despite success
Series: Like you and me | Bible text: Genesis 39–40
On his journey so far, Joseph has already learned a lot in terms of character and fear of God. Now his first successes are beginning to show. He is hired as a personal servant by one of Pharaoh’s ministers. Everything is going well. Nevertheless, things go downhill again. Completely unjustly, he is thrown into prison and forgotten there. But in the end, he grows even more into his destiny. He learns two essential things: to put his trust in God alone and to look away from himself.
Joseph was his father’s favourite son. He had a dream about his future destiny at an early age. Along the way, he experienced various trials. He had eleven brothers, experienced much strife, was almost killed, and then sold as a slave to Potifar in Egypt. Potifar was a minister of the Pharaoh and commander-in-chief of the royal bodyguard.
Successful with radiance
Meanwhile, Joseph has matured greatly in character through humiliation and sorrowful well experiences. To stay with Michelangelo’s painting: David stands out clearly from the block of marble. Joseph became more the person God saw in him. The result: «The Lord helped Joseph and let him succeed in everything while he worked in the house of his Egyptian master. Potiphar noticed that the Lord was with Joseph and gave him success in everything he undertook. Therefore he found favour and became Potifar’s personal servant. Soon Potifar entrusted Joseph with the supervision of his house and the management of all his possessions. From that day on, the Lord blessed Potifar for Joseph’s sake. All the work in the house was successful, the harvest was good and his livestock increased steadily.» (Genesis 39:2–5 NL).
Success is not high standing, a good salary or a fancy mansion, but living in God’s purpose for us. Success is when I get the most out of what God gives me. The word translated here as success (v.3) also means succeed or succeed. Joseph was walking in step with his Lord. Jesus had the same recipe for success: «I assure you: The Son can do nothing of himself. He only does what he sees the Father doing. Whatever the Father does, the Son also does.»(John 5:19 NL). On this journey, Joseph experienced God’s blessing in a tangible way. The entire journey from spoiled «Schnudergoof» to his destiny took a good 20 years. Here we see that the first successes came much earlier. God wants to make us successful already in our provisionality. Stepping in step with God becomes visible: «And his master (Potiphar) saw that the LORD was with him.»(Genesis 39:3 Lut).
The boss sees that the Lord was with him. More still: «From that day on, the Lord blessed Potiphar for Joseph’s sake.»(V.5 NL). Blessed to be a blessing! Josef is experiencing what we have set out to do this year. Will it be visible to those around us that the Lord is with us? Or do we rather put the light under the «an upturned vessel»(Matthew 5:15)? «In the same way, let your good deeds shine before men, so that all may see them and praise your Father in heaven for them.»(Matthew 5:16 NL). When Moses met God on Mount Sinai, his face lit up. He himself did not notice it, but the people around him did. God is like the sun, we are like the moon. The moon can only reflect when it is illuminated by the sun. Whenever the earth is on the axis between the sun and the moon, there is a lunar eclipse. Are the people around us experiencing a luminous full moon or rather a lunar eclipse? The «earth» that can get in between could be called inertia, indifference or self-centredness.
Two things are needed to be a light in this world: Allowing ourselves to be illuminated by God and turning our faces towards the people. Yes, it takes an interest in life, in the successes and failures, of our neighbours and study or work colleagues.
Integer by conviction
But God has not yet reached his goal with Joseph. Soon his faith is put to the test once again: «[…] Joseph was a handsome young man. Therefore Potiphar’s wife began to desire him and asked him to sleep with her»(Genesis 39:6f NL). What a temptation. Joseph has been sold into a foreign land, he is far away from home and his loved ones and now comes the opportunity to escape this loneliness for a few hours. The offer of a «Tröschterlis» stands. The testosterone level is high. No one will know, least of all his family. Finally, something for the soul! Who could resist?
But Joseph refused. «My master trusts me in everything concerning his household. He has no more power in this house than I do! He has withheld nothing from me except you, for you are his wife. How could I do such a thing? It would be a great sin against God» «(Genesis 39:8f NL). Two things prevent Joseph from drawing in the short-term joy: Character and fear of God. Character consists of Self-control, Integrity and Loyalty.
- Self-controlJoseph was not under pressure to satisfy his lust immediately. A good training ground for this inner resilience is dealing with physicality in friendship. Why should a person muster the self-control in such a critical situation if it is not possible within the familiar framework of a partnership? The wise Solomon says about this: «A person without self-control is as defenceless as a city with torn walls»(Proverbs 25:28 NL).
- Integrity and loyaltyJoseph had principles in life which he put into practice even in the greatest temptation. God’s word and will formed a strong foundation in his life. Integrity is the correspondence of inner conviction and actual implementation, even when things get tight. Loyalty to the boss was important to him, even when he could have great satisfaction at his expense. Dwight L. Moody said: «Character is what you are in the dark.» Character is what you are in secret when no one is looking.
GodspeedFear of God is knowing who God is and who I am. The fear of God prevents us from minimising sin. Sin is not what we do wrong. Sin is that we want to control our lives instead of God. It is great how Joseph let God rule his life and was obedient in this delicate temptation. Obedience is the love language of God.
Imprisoned after miscarriage of justice
Potifar’s wife was frustrated and disappointed because of Joseph’s rejection. She therefore turned the tables and accused Joseph of wanting to rape her. «When Potiphar heard this, he was furious. He had Joseph thrown into the prison where the king’s prisoners were locked up.»(Genesis 39:19f NL). There he sits now, completely innocent in prison – as Robert DuBoise did for 37 years. DuBoise, now 56, was sentenced to life in prison for the murder of a 19-year-old girl in 1983. He allegedly raped, beat and murdered her. DuBoise swore his innocence – in vain. He had to endure almost 40 years behind bars. At the end of August, the nightmare suddenly came to an end. A DNA sample proved him wrong. «It is an overwhelming feeling of relief. I have been praying and hoping to God every day.«DuBoise told reporters that he had no grudge against those who were responsible for this injustice. He did not want to burden his heart with hatred or bitterness.
Jesus was also sentenced to death completely unjustly. Because he accepted this without grumbling, we can benefit. He stood vicariously for you and me in the rift between God and us. He is the bridge that we can enter again into full communion with God.
Like Robert DuBoise, Josef also becomes the victim of a miscarriage of justice. Joseph does not resign, but gets himself up and becomes successful even in this very difficult environment. The prison administrator put him in charge of all the other prisoners. «The steward no longer had to worry about anything. For the Lord was with Joseph and made all that he did succeed»(Genesis 39:23 NL). The baker and the cupbearer are serving their sentences at the same time. Both dream. Joseph interprets the dreams and announces to the cupbearer that he will be released in the next three days and reinstated as cupbearer. Joseph asks the cupbearer to put in a good word for him with Pharaoh. «The cupbearer no longer thought of Joseph, but forgot him» (Genesis 40:23 NL). It was not until two years later, when Pharaoh also had a dream that no one could interpret, that the cupbearer remembers Joseph.
You can do everything right in life and still get into trouble! God also makes fertiliser out of this dung and leads Joseph once again a big step further into his destiny. Quite inconspicuously, Joseph placed his trust away from God in people in his success. «Think of me when you are well again! Tell Pharaoh about me and ask him to get me out of here.»(Genesis 40:14 NL). This likes to happen in young successful years. Suddenly you trust your own strategies or certain people instead of unreservedly trusting God..
In captivity, Joseph allowed himself to be realigned with God. You can hear it in the preface to the dream interpretation of Pharaoh: «It is not in my power to do that, Sire, only God can. But he will surely announce something good to you» (Genesis 41:16 NL). God wants it to stop being about me, to be about Him. When God works on our character, we come to the point where we say with John the Baptist: «He has to get bigger and bigger and I have to get smaller and smaller.»(John 3:30 NL).
In addition, Joseph was freed from himself even more during the crisis and gained a sharper eye for his fellow human beings. Thus, in prison, he says to the baker and the cupbearer: «The next morning, Josef noticed the dejected expression on their faces» (Genesis 40:6 NL). If he simply saw himself as a victim of circumstance, he would not have an eye for others. Joseph is now free inside.
Last week, in an interview here on stage, someone answered the question why she lives with Jesus: «Jesus is my recipe for success.» Success is to trust in Jesus and to live everyday life in step with Him. Because Jesus – like Joseph – was unjustly condemned, relationship with the Creator became possible in the first place. With all my heart I invite you to a successful life. A successful life is not to be confused with an easy life!
Possible questions for the small groups
Reading the Bible text: Genesis 39–40
- What is success? In what way are you successful?
- What does it take for people to see that the Lord is with us? What are your experiences in this regard?
- Joseph was badly pressed by Potiphar’s wife. Why was he able to resist the temptation?
- What is character? What about your self-control and integrity?
- What about this sermon struck you in the heart? What do you want to do concretely?
